DECISION 2009
CANDIDATES FOR STATE SUPERINTENDENT

1. We need to maintain those provisions that assist districts in identifying achievement gaps and providing funding for innovative approaches such as after
school academic programs.
      I will continue working with our congressional delegation to change the way our students are tested and the ways in which our schools are held
accountable. We can no longer rely on a one-shot test to determine success or failure of any school. Instead, we should focus our assessment efforts on the
academic growth of individual students. It is this shift in focus from punitive measures to those that provide meaningful data that results in improvement.  That
should be our goal.
2. Eliminating the disparity of student outcomes has to be our top priority.
      Early in my campaign, I released a 12-point “Agenda for Transformation” for Milwaukee Public Schools. The agenda addresses Milwaukee schools
specifically, but is important to our entire state and relevant to schools and districts across our state. The plan can be found at my website, www.tonyevers.com
Wisconsin needs to continue its early childhood programs and efforts to maintain smaller class sizes. In addition, we must focus our school improvement efforts
on increasing student learning and closing achievement gaps. We must work to support our schools and communities in their efforts to address the devastating
impact of childhood poverty.  These efforts could include providing “wraparound services” and increased learning opportunities or extending the school year or
the school day.  
      One of the most important determinants of student success is the knowledge and experience of the classroom teacher.  In this way, our school districts must
continue in their efforts to recruit and retain quality teachers and get our best teachers in our highest-needs schools.
3. I am committed to Wisconsin’s charter schools, which provide innovative educational strategies. I played a major role in making Wisconsin among the highest
of all states in terms of both the number of charter schools and the number of students enrolled in charter schools.
      As State Superintendent, I will continue to promote charter schools and the innovative opportunities they provide our students.
As Deputy State Superintendent, I have been directly responsible for overseeing two successful competitive federal charter school grants that brought over $90
million to Wisconsin. During the past eight years, the number of charter schools in Wisconsin has risen from 92 to 221 – an increase of almost 150 percent. The
number of students enrolled in charter schools has increased from 12,000 students in 2001 to nearly 36,000 today.
4. This is an historic moment for Wisconsin’s schools. President Obama and Congress, through their actions, have put schools in the critical position of helping
turn our economy around.  
      There is no question that educators and community members understand that this federal investment is a tremendous opportunity for advancing innovation
in for our schools. With this opportunity comes great responsibility to ensure that every dollar is spent wisely. The State Superintendents’ authority under federal
law is quite specific, and I plan to aggressively fulfill those responsibilities to ensure that these funds go directly to improving learning in the classroom.
5. I support the President’s reform agenda. In particular, his support of academic after-school programs and a longer school year have been shown to increase
student achievement. I am pleased that the president’s proposals are supportive of my own focus on early childhood education, something that is critical to
student success.  
      Like the President, I support rewarding excellent teaching. In Wisconsin, we have a great start in that area with our emphasis on the Master Educator
licensing program and the National Board Certification, both of which are very rigorous and linked to student achievement.
Questions
1.  What major features of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation be
retained, eliminated or modified?
2.  What can the Wis. Dept. of Public Instruction do to close the minority student
achievement gap in Wisconsin?
3.  What role should charter schools play in the provision of public instruction?
4.  How should the Wis. Dept of Public Instruction utilize the federal stimulus
funds it will receive?
5.  What is your position on the educational reform initiatives that are being
advocated by the Obama administration?
Tony Evers